1. Field
The present disclosure relates to apparatus and methods for reducing channel estimation noise in a wireless communication transceiver and, more particularly, to apparatus and methods for setting values of the channel estimation less than a determined noise density to a predetermined value when those values are less than the noise density in order to reduce the overall channel estimation noise.
2. Background
In certain wireless communication systems, such as those employing Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM), channel estimation of received communication signals has a profound effect on system performance. For example, wireless transceivers use the channel estimation for demodulating the received data and for timing tracking. Therefore, it is important that the channel estimation be accurate. Variables such as noise/interference (collectively referred to herein as “noise”), however, can adversely affect channel estimation quality. Examples of types of noise/interference include inter-cell/network interference (i.e., noise generated as a result of interfering signals within a network or between different systems (e.g., OFDM and CDMA)) and tone jammer interference (a single tone (frequency) having a narrow bandwidth that interferes with one of the carrier frequencies of a transmitted signal). Accordingly, it is beneficial to attempt to reduce the channel estimation noise, thereby increasing the channel estimation immunity to noise/interference in order to achieve better quality channel estimation.